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Princess Elektra was the second child and only daughter of Queen Christina and King Hugo, who were fair rulers of their kingdom and generally liked by their subjects. Even though she was the second child and adopted (giving her no claim to the throne), and Prince Orestez already had two children, it was Princess Elektra who was beloved by the kingdom.
Princess Elektra was known to be reckless, unruly and uncontrollable. She did things that nobility generally considered unbefitting of a princess. She readily explored the kingdom, often escaping her guards to run off on her own. She befriended people all over her kingdom and from other kingdoms, was an expert fighter and marksman, and generally did whatever she liked. Despite her unprincesslike approach, countless men and women from mobility and other kingdoms had tried to woo her.
One careful day, a few weeks before the start of spring, there was an announcement. Princess Elektra was ready for a betrothal. While only those of nobility and royalty of neighbouring kingdoms were eligible to marry a princess, technically no one was barred from putting their hat in the ring.
For Princess Elektra had declared that she would marry anybody who would return her runaway cat to her. Nobody had even known Princess Elektra had a cat in the first place. Many had attempted to look for it. Some lucky few claimed to have found it but had been unsuccessful at catching and returning her to the princess.
“Cats don’t really do things you want them to do,” said Matt, to his best friend Foggy, the village butcher, who was telling him about Princess Elektra’s proclamation.
“And you’re the expert because?” asked Foggy, who was preparing lamb for Matt to cook for dinner for himself and his father.
“I have a cat,” said Matt.
“Buddy, I was at your house last week,” said Foggy. “There was no cat.”
“Oh, he doesn’t live with me,” said Matt, who worked at the local school, “He sometimes walks me home from work and then we have dinner together.” Matt wasn’t actually sure if his cat was a boy or a girl. He assumed it was a boy. He also had no idea what his cat looked like – he left before his dad came back home.
“Cat aside–” said Foggy.
“You’re hurting my feelings, Foggy,” teased Matt. “Fluffy is important to me.
“You named the cat Fluffy,” said Foggy, very judgementally.
“I told some of the children at the orphanage about him and they suggested the name Fluffy,” said Matt, smirking.
“Is the cat even–” said Foggy, huffing. “No, stop trying to distract me, Murdock!”
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” said Matt, his face innocent. “But no, he's not actually fluffy.”
“I don't care, Matt,” said Foggy, exasperated as he packaged the cheese. “And yes, you do. I know you're seeing somebody. Now, spill.”
It had been a long week of teaching when Matt decided to go out for a walk and met Elektra. Foggy was busy and his dad had been called into town for work. He didn't know where Karen was so he decided to walk to the moor to clear his head. He knew it was going to rain but thought he would be back home before it started. It started to rain halfway through the walk, so Matt walked back towards the village.
He thought he heard someone as the rain went from drizzing to pouring. Matthew's clothes were already beginning to soak but fortunately he wasn't very far from home.
He thought he heard footsteps.
“Who's there?” said Matt. The rain was loud, so he found it difficult to filter other sounds. He thought he could hear footsteps but he wasn't sure. “The rain won't let up anytime soon. You should find shelter.”
“I’ll be perfectly fine on my own,” came a woman's voice, which was coming closer to him. Whoever she was, she sounded very pretty to Matt.
"I'm sure that you will," agreed Matt, frowning. He paused. "You don't sound familiar.”
“Sound familiar?" said the woman. She paused. “Oh, you’re blind.”
“I am,” agreed Matt. There was a loud roar of thunder.
“My home isn't far from here,” said Matt, offering his arm.
The strange woman took it and followed his lead. Despite the heavy rain, she smelled delightful to Matt. Orchids and something else. Whatever it was, it was intoxicating. “Lead the way,” she said.
They arrived back at Matt's home ten minutes later. He was glad that he'd left the fire on. “I can get you dry clothes,” he offered the woman.
“That would be great, thank you,” she said.
He emerged a minute later, a dress and towel in hand.
"You can change in that room over there," he told her, tilting his head towards the room. He heard her walk to the room and close the door.
In the time she changed, Matt had changed, put their clothes to dry in front of the fireplace and had made hot tea. Matt brought two mugs of hot tea and offered her one. “I’m Matt, by the way,” he told her, as she took the mug from his hands.
The woman took a sip. “My name is Elektra.”
“Like the princess?” said Matt, smiling as he took a sip of tea.
“It is one of the most popular names in the kingdom,” said Elektra, taking another sip. “This is delicious.”
Matt sat down in front of the fireplace. He offered Elektra a blanket.
“Thank you,” she said, wrapping it around her shoulders.
He wrapped another blanket around himself. They quietly sat in front of the fire for a while, trying to get warm again. Matt wasn’t sure but he guessed that she was looking around Matt’s house as they sat. Once their mugs were empty, Matt asked Elektra if she was hungry.
“Do you live alone?” asked Elektra, as he ladled soup into bowls for them.
“I live here with my father,” said Matt, looking for bread. “He’s at work and won’t be home until late.”
There was a pause. “I just nodded,” said Elektra. “What do you do?”
“I work at the school,” Matt told her, handing her a bowl of soup. “Tell me about yourself.”
“I work at the palace,” said Elektra.
“Your name is Elektra and you work at the palace,” said Matt, sitting back in front of the fire with a bowl of soup.
“I do,” said Elektra, flirtatiously. “Fun coincidence, isn’t it?”
It seemed like she wasn’t going to give him much. “And what were you doing at the moor?” asked Matt.
“It’s my day off and I was bored,” said Elektra, pausing to eat her soup. “If you live with your father, who does the dress I’m wearing belong to?”
“My mother,” said Matt. “She’s a nun at the orphanage. I’m not actually sure why my dad still has some of her things, but the dress came handy today.”
“They did, didn’t they?” said Elekrta, who seemed to be done eating. She put her bowl and spoon to the side. “It makes sense. The dress is very old-fashioned.” She touched his cheek.
“Not like I would know,” said Matt, who also put his bowl to the side. He paused. “Are you seeing someone?”
“I’m not,” said Elektra, who was already halfway to his face. “Are you?”
They kissed softly. It was brief, sweet and not like how he expected Elektra to kiss him.
“I’m all yours,” said Matt.
“I like the sound of that,” said Elektra, pushing him to lie down on the floor. Then she kissed him like he expected – with fervour, more than a bit roughly, while touching him everywhere.
“She works at the palace,” said Matt, “so she doesn’t have much free time.”
“What was she even doing in our village?” asked Foggy, dubious.
“She was passing by,” said Matt. “Said that she was here to buy cherries.” Their village was known for its cherries but it was far too early for their harvest.
“Her name is Elektra?” said Foggy. “Like the princess?” He sounded tired, possibly exasperated; Matt couldn’t be sure.
“One of the most popular names in the kingdom,” said Matt, repeating what his girlfriend had told him. She wasn’t wrong; Elektra was an extremely popular name.
Foggy sighed. “What do you even know about her?”
Matt shrugged. “Not much,” he said. He wondered if Foggy was taking longer so that he could keep interrogating Matt. The butcher shop didn't have any other customers at the moment. “She hasn't told me a lot about herself.”
“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”
“I'm a good boy, Foggy,” said Matt, smiling. “I literally work at a school for orphans with my mother, who is a nun.”
“I’m rolling my eyes at you,” Foggy told Matt. “You work at a school where some of the children are orphans.” He paused. “I don't know what it is about you, Matt, but trouble always seems to find you.”
Foggy was not wrong about Matt’s propensity for trouble, but Matt wasn't going to stop seeing his girlfriend or stop living his life. He told Foggy so.
Foggy, who told him that he was raising his brow, “Girlfriend, huh? And I don't want you to stop living your life either. Just be careful, okay?” He finished packaging the meat and cheese Matt wanted, and told him there was a bit of extra for his cat.
“Sometimes I feel like you like looking for trouble, buddy,” Foggy muttered as Matt exited the butchershop, thinking Matt couldn’t hear him.
Matt smirked.
(Fluffy had loved the bit of meat Matt had given him next time he saw him)
“I won’t be able to see for a few weeks,” Elektra told Matt, sitting down on his teacher’s desk in his classroom. It was after hours. Matt usually left not long after his students did but it had been a long week before spring holidays. Matt had stayed behind to get a few things done so that he wouldn’t have any work to do during the week off. Most of the children had gone home and the nuns had also left hours ago with the children from the orphanage.
“I didn't realise you were nobility,” joked Matt. “Are you going to the princess’ ball?”
“I told you that I work at the castle,” said Elektra, who sounded like she was smiling. “Lots of preparations.”
“Nope, that’s not it,” said Matt, smirking. “Did you catch the princess' cat? We’ll have two Princess Elektras in this kingdom. Then again, I thought the ball was only for male suitors.”
“Aww, are you feeling insecure, Matthew?” asked Elektra. “Rest assured, I'm not leaving you for the princess. Besides, everybody knows that the princess doesn’t actually have a cat.”
“Why do I feel like you've met the princess?” asked Matthew, who had started putting away his books and was packing his satchel. “Are you a lady-in-waiting? Have I had a member of nobility in my bedchamber?”
Elektra sat him down in his teacher’s chair. “And what if you did?” she asked. She was moving her hands down from Matt's chest and beginning to loosen his belt.
Matt smirked.
A few weeks later, Matt was walking his friend Karen, who worked at the printing press, home from work when he heard a familiar meow.
“Is that–” said Karen, ostensibly looking in Fluffy’s direction.
“Karen, meet Fluffy,” said Matt, walking towards his cat. “Fluffy, this is my friend Karen.”
“He can understand us?” asked Karen, dubious.
“And Foggy kept saying you aren’t real,” Matt cooed to Fluffy. “Karen will tell him.”
“He’s definitely real,” agreed Karen.
“Fluffy,” said Matt. He put his hand in his jacket pocket and held out a piece of chicken-bread that he made. “Come here, boy. I baked this myself. Karen likes it, so let's see if you do too.”
“I don’t think your cat really cares about my opinion,” laughed Karen.
“What makes you say that?”
“It’s like he’s ignoring me on purpose,” said Karen. “I didn’t know cats were so expressive.”
He walked towards Fluffy and put down a piece of chicken-bread on the ground. Fluffy carefully sniffed the bread, meowed once and started to eat it.
“Matt,” said Karen, looking at the cat who was eating as Matt pet him. “I think your cat is a girl.”
“Oh,” said Matt, surprised as he continued to pet Fluffy. He paused and put down another piece of food for her. “What does he, er, she look like?”
Karen bent down closer to Fluffy. “She's a calico,” she said. “Seems to be fully grown. She's got brown and black spots here and there, but she's actually mostly white.”
Karen moved closer and made a contemplative noise. Suddenly, she said, “Holy shit!”
Fluffy hissed at Karen.
“You scared him, er, her,” he said, touching her protectively.
“No,” said Karen. “No, Matt. I think that… that's Princess Elektra’s cat.”
“What?” said Matt, so surprised he stopped petting Fluffy for a moment.
Fluffy hissed in Karen’s direction and ran away.
“She ran away,” said Matt, morosely.
“Have you missed me terribly?” asked Elektra, one night. Both of them were lounging in an outrageously comfortable bed and her head was resting on his chest.
He and Elektra had broken into a nobleman’s house that was on the outskirts of a town near Matt’s village. Matt had no idea who the nobleman was or why Elektra had chosen to break into his house specifically, but he hadn’t bothered to question her.
“I did,” said Matt, running his hands through her hair. “But you’re back now.”
“You still seem a bit sad,” said Elektra. “Did you have an argument with your father or something?”
“Nothing like that,” said Matt. “It’s been a little lonely. I just found out that Fluffy is Princess Elektra’s cat. She was missing for a while before I found out. And now she won’t come close to me.”
“She?” asked Elektra.
Matt nodded in response.
“Fluffy,” continued Elektra, who had told him many times that she found the name juvenile. “Knows what's at stake. She probably doesn’t want to be captured. Anybody would want a chance to marry the princess, or so I’m told.”
“You’ve been told wrong,” said Matt, kissing her temple. “I’m sure she misses her cat and that she’s a lovely person, but I don't care about the princess.”
“Hmm,” said Elekra, contemplative.
“Would you marry me, if I asked?” said Matt.
“You don't want to marry Princess Elektra?” asked Elektra, abruptly.
“I don’t actually know Princess Elektra,” said Matt, running her hand through his girlfriend’s soft hair. “I'm sure that the princess is perfectly lovely.” Matt, like all citizens of the kingdom, had heard about the rowdy, uncontrollable princess who was beloved by all. “But, I don’t actually know her. And more importantly, I have you.”
“You’d have to move close to the castle,” said Elektra.
“Because you work at the castle,” said Matt. “Which you’re so secretive about. I’m sure I can work at a school near the castle.”
“Your students will miss you,” said Elektra.
“I get new students every year,” said Matt, who had been teaching for a few years. “I’d miss you a lot more.”
Elektra didn't say anything. She was quiet and Matt couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“Is everything okay?” asked Matt.
Elektra didn’t respond; she only cuddled closer to Matt. She seemed to be deep in thought. They left the nobleman’s house a few hours later.
Uncharacteristically, Elektra left soon after. She had never stayed long enough to run into Matt’s friends or his father, but she usually at least spent a day with him.
When he saw Fluffy a few days later, she had warmed to him again. She allowed Matt near her again and walked him back home like she used to, if less frequently than before.
He didn’t hear from Elektra for a few weeks. With no idea how to contact her, Matt didn't know what to do.
When Elektra came to see Matt next, Karen and Foggy were waiting at the table. Matt was in his bedroom. When they remembered this day, nobody remembered what they were planning to do, just that it was the day Karen and Foggy found out that Matt was in a relationship with Princess Elektra and seemingly had no idea. Later, when asked, Foggy would claim that Matt somehow knew all along but Karen was dubious. Jack Murdock would tell people that he had no idea that his son was even seeing somebody.
“I’ll get it,” said Foggy, walking to the door.
“Holy shit,” said Karen and Foggy, simultaneously.
“I’m here to see Matthew,” said Elektra, entering Matt’s house, as if she had known Foggy and Karen were inside the house as well.
“Holy shit,” said Foggy again.
“Elekra, this is a surprise,” said Matt, coming out of his bedroom.
“Matt,” said Karen, sounding shellshocked. “How do you know her?”
“Are you two bowing?” asked Matt.
“Yes, Matt!” said Foggy, whose voice was bordering on hysterical. “Because that’s what you do when you’re in the presence of royalty!”
“Royalty?” said Matt.
“Princess Elektra is your girlfriend?” said Karen.
Matt tilted his head and opened his mouth.
“Don't blame my sweet Matthew,” said Elektra, before he could say anything. “He didn't know.”
“Maybe we should let them talk in private,” said Karen.
“No need,” said Elektra. She walked up to Matt and put his face in her hand.
“Is it still a yes to marrying me?” she asked.
Foggy made a sound at the back of his throat that would have been hilarious in a different situation.
“I’ll always say yes to you,” Matt told her, holding both her hands.
“I like the sound of that,” said Elektra. “You should also know that I'm a shapeshifter.”
Without another word, she let go of Matt’s hands and transformed into–
“Meow.”
“Of course she shapeshifts,” said Foggy, frantically whispering to Karen.
“Fluffy?” said Matt.
“I thought it was just a mean rumour,” Karen whispered back.
Fluffy–Elektra rubbed against his legs and meowed again. Matt heard a strange sound and Elektra became a human again.
“I understand why you hate the name Fluffy,” said Matt.
“I’m not even a fluffy cat,” said Elektra, pulling him close to her.
“That’s what I said!” said Foggy. He paused, as if he suddenly remembered who he was talking to. “Your Highness!”
“Elektra is fine,” said Elektra, dismissively. She turned to Matt, holding his face in her hands. “Did you know, Matthew?”
“Maybe I did,” said Matt, smirking at her.
“Hmm,” said Elektra, approvingly. “Smart boy.” She pulled him in for a searing kiss and was beginning to unbutton his tunic.
“We should go,” said Karen, who sounded like she was dragging Foggy out the door with her.
“We’ll see you later,” said Foggy, as he followed Karen out the door.
“Uh huh,” said Matt, who wasn’t paying much attention, focusing on getting Elektra’s dress off of her as quickly as he could. Elektra was making it difficult, kissing the side of his neck and down to his jaw, leaving little bites. She had managed to get him shirtless and was almost out of her dress when Matt heard footsteps approach the front door.
There was a knock on the door. “Matt,” came Foggy’s voice. “Your dad’s home!” Foggy knew Matt well enough that he was fairly certain his best friend had told his father nothing about his girlfriend (or was it fiancee now?) or that he was even seeing someone.
Matt turned his head in the direction of the door. Foggy whispered something to Jack, who sounded tired and confused, coming back from a long day of work, before he left with Karen. Jack entered his home and stared at the half-naked bodies of his son and one of the most recognisable people in the kingdom.
“Holy shit, Matty,” said Jack Murdock.